No, Susan Rice Did Not Refuse to Testify Before House Intel (Let’s Calm Down, Folks)

There has been some babble about former national security adviser Susan Rice’s refusal to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, and it needs to be clarified.

Rice was expected to give testimony this week, when the news broke that, in fact, she would not.

It took on a life of its own, it appears, with those seeking to foster their new religion of “Whataboutism.”

The real reason is much less sexy.

Had Rice’s testimony happened, it would have been on Tuesday, as Republican lawmakers seek to determine if she had any role in the “unmasking” of the identities of associates of President Trump’s in intelligence reports.

The real reason Rice will not be appearing before House Intelligence today has nothing to do with a hidden agenda or some pug-nosed defiance.

The House intelligence committee has delayed classified testimony expected this week from former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice as the panel is now working to bring forward another former Obama official as soon as this month: Samantha Power.

Power, who like Rice also served as the US ambassador to the United Nations under Obama, has agreed to come before the committee, sources say. The panel is still finalizing a date, but her testimony could occur before the August recess.

It sounds like there’s more focus on being thorough and exploring every possible angle to this ongoing investigation, to me, and it has nothing to do with Rice, or Powers, for that matter.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Rice had been scheduled to speak to the panel Tuesday, but the committee has delayed her testimony for a later date. Rice, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing, declined to comment through a spokesperson, but is still expected to come before the panel at some point. Power has repeatedly called for an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the election, and has expressed a willingness to cooperate.

The delay of Rice’s testimony would amount to at least the third time the panel has pushed back a scheduled witness’ testimony. It also delayed hearing from Trump associate Roger Stone and former adviser J.D. Gordon. The GOP leader of the House Russia probe, Mike Conaway, said last week that the investigation is going “frustratingly slow.”

I can’t remember who said these words recently, but someone suggested we want this whole investigation into Russia done right, not done fast.

Instant gratification isn’t always best for us.

We also should all be rooting for the truth, not a reason to point at the other side, caught up in the fervor of another grand “GOTCHA!” moment.

Partisan sniping will be the death of us all. Let’s just take a deep breath and wait until all the facts are out before running with assumptions, shall we?